Bailey, Victor Albert

Born in Alexandria Egypt, Bailey studied in England at King Edward VI School in Southampton and Queen's College, Oxford where he studied Engineering Science and Physics and graduated as Bachelor of Science circa 1920 and Doctor of Philosophy in 1923. He was awarded his doctorate for research into electrons and ions in gases under J S Townshend in the Electrical Laboratory which was subsequently incorporated into the Clarendon Laboratory. The University of Sydney appointed Bailey Associate Professor of Physics in 1924. Previously, Bailey had been employed as an academic at Queen's College Oxford. Subsequently, he was appointed Professor of Experimental Physics (in 1936), Research Professor in 1953 and Emeritus Professor after his retirement in December 1960.

In his obituary to Bailey published in "Nature", K Landecker said "Bailey will probably be best remembered for the elucidation of an effect observed by early wireless operators and sometimes referred to as the 'Luxembourg effect'." Bailey carried out research on gas discharges, the ionosphere, plasma waves and cosmology and brought the methods and results of the science of Physics into the service of other departments of the University, namely Radio Research, Engineering, Zoology and Medicine. Sources of funds included the United States Air Force and the Carnegie Corporation New York. After his retirement, Bailey continued his research. In December 1963, he gave a paper at the Conference on Non-Linear Processes in the Ionosphere in Colorado USA.

Awards for Bailey's scientific achievements included election to the Australian Academy of Sciences in 1955, the T K Sidey Medal and Prize from the Royal Society of New Zealand, and the Walter Burfitt Prize from the Royal Society of NSW. The Burfitt Prize was awarded at intervals of 3 years to the worker in pure or applied science resident in Australia or New Zealand whose papers and other contributions published during the past 3 years are deemed of the highest scientific merit.
Committee membership included the Cancer Research Committee of the University (resigned in 1929), and the Committee of the International Union of Scientific Radio (chairman). During the first world war, Bailey was an instructor in the Signal Corps of the Royal Engineers. During World War II, Bailey organised and directed courses in Radio-physics and radio for members of the armed forces in Sydney.

Bailey's son, John Maxwell Bailey (1935-2024), BSC (1957) was a particle physicist. (see Biog file 1224).